Helmet ear loop

ABSTRACT

An ear loop for a helmet and a helmet having the ear loop is described. The ear loop is connectable to a chin strap of the helmet, and allows movement of the chin strap about the ear loop. The ear loop has one or more features for restricting movement of the chin strap along the ear loop to provide some freedom of movement while ensuring that the positioning of the chin strap remains within a desired range

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of International Application No.PCT/CA2005/001217 filed Aug. 4, 2005, designating the United States,which itself claims priority on U.S. provisional application No.60/598,423, filed Aug. 4, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ear loop for helmets. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a sporting helmet ear loop towhich a chin strap may be connected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ear loop fora helmet, the ear loop being connectable to a chin strap of the helmet,the ear loop having a feature allowing movement of the chin strap aboutthe ear loop along a restricted path only, the restricted path beinglimited to a predetermined portion of the ear loop.

Other and further advantages and features of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will become moreapparent from the following description of specific embodiments thereofand the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example only,the principles of the invention. In the drawings, where like elementsfeature like reference numerals (and wherein individual elements bearunique alphabetical suffixes):

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a helmet with an ear loop according to priorart;

FIG. 2 shows a blown up view of the ear loop of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a helmet with an ear loop according to aparticular embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a blown up view of the ear loop of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows an ear loop according to an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 shows an ear loop according to another alternate embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows an ear loop according to yet another alternate embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The description which follows, and the embodiments described therein,are provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, ofparticular embodiments of the principles of the present invention. Theseexamples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and notlimitation, of those principles and of the invention. In thedescription, which follows, like parts are marked throughout thespecification and the drawings with the same respective referencenumerals.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art sporting helmet 2 havingan ear loop 4 and a chin strap 10 (not fully shown). The ear loop 4 isconnected to the helmet 2 using connectors 6 going through correspondinghelmet slots 8. Alternatively various other connectors or connectionmethods known to a person skilled in the art may be used as well.Finally, the chin strap 10 is connected to the ear loop 4 by rolling itsend around the chin strip 10 and sewing it back unto itself.Alternatively, the chin strap may be attached back unto itself using apressure button, Velcro or any other such means. FIG. 2 shows a blown upview of the connection of the chin strap 10 to the ear loop 4. It may beseen in FIG. 2 that the chin strap 10 may move freely about the ear loop4 along a path 11 and, for example, displace itself up to position 10 a,which in turn displaces the positioning of the chin strap 10 along andunder the wearer's jaw and chin (not shown).

To prevent excessive displacement of the positioning of a chin strapalong an ear loop, the ear loop may be provided with a feature forrestricting movement of the chin strap along the ear loop.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a sporting helmet 2 having anear loop 5, according to an embodiment of the present invention, and achin strap 10 (not fully shown). The ear loop 5 is connected to thehelmet 2 using connectors 6 going through corresponding helmet slots 8.Alternatively various other connectors or connection methods known to aperson skilled in the art may be used as well. Finally, the chin strap10 is connected to the ear loop 5 by passing it through ear loop slit 12and connecting it back unto itself, for example by sewing it.Alternatively, the chin strap may be attached back unto itself using apressure button, Velcro or any other such means. The chin strap 10 mayalso use a looped member (not shown) or any other type of connectorsuitable for connection through the ear loop slit. FIG. 4 shows a blownup view of the connection of the chin strap 10 to the ear loop 5 throughear loop slit 12. It may be seen in FIG. 4 that the chin strap 10 maymove freely about the ear loop 5 along restricted path 13, which allowschin strap 10 some freedom of movement while ensuring that itspositioning remains within a secure and comfortable range.

In other embodiments, another feature may be used for restrictingmovement of a chin strap along an ear loop, as described in someexamples below.

Referring to FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment is shown. Therein,protrusions 24, 26 are provided along ear loop 20 extending outwardlyfrom a surface of ear loop 20. One arrangement, as shown, hasprotrusions 24, 26 extending downwardly from ear loop 20. Eachprotrusion may be alternatively located elsewhere on a surface of earloop 20. Chin strap 22 is connected to ear loop 20 between protrusions24, 26 in the same manner described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.Protrusions 24, 26 may be integral to ear loop 20, or be attachmentssecured to ear loop 20. In the embodiment, the connection of chin strap22 to ear loop 20, such as by sewing chin strap 22 onto itself, createsspace around ear loop 20 such that chin strap 22 may move along ear loop20. Protrusions 24, 26 are of a dimension that, in combination theconnection of chin strap 22 to ear loop 20, prevents chin strap 22 frommoving past protrusions 24, 26 despite the space created by theconnection. For the embodiment, chin strap 22 may move freely about earloop 20 along restricted path 28, to allow chin strap 22 some freedom ofmovement while protrusions 24, 26 hold it within a desired positionrange between protrusions 24, 26.

Referring to FIG. 6, another alternate embodiment is shown. Therein,chin strap 32 is connected to ear loop 30 in the same manner describedabove with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. Bridge 34 is also provided with earloop 30. Bridge 34 may be integral to ear loop 30, or be an attachmentsecurable to ear loop 30. In the embodiment, the connection of chinstrap 32 to ear loop 30 is between feet 35, 36 of bridge 34 to preventchin strap 32 from moving past feet 35, 36 of bridge 34. Chin strap 32may move freely along ear loop along restricted path 38, to allow chinstrap 32 some freedom of movement while bridge 34 holds it in placewithin a desired position range relative to ear loop 30.

Referring to FIG. 7, yet another alternate embodiment is shown. Therein,chin strap 42 is connected to ear loop 40 in the same manner describedabove with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. Button 44 protruding from ear loop40 is provided, and a complementary slit 46 in chin strap 42 is alsoprovided and cooperates with button 44. Slit 46 is dimensioned tocooperate with button 44 such that, when slit 46 is placed over button44, chin strap 42 may freely move along restricted path 48 of ear loop40 while chin strap 42 is also held in place within a desired positionrange relative to ear loop 40. Restricted path 48 is defined by thelateral size of slit 46.

In other embodiments, strap 42 may be loosely coupled to ear loop 40 byone or more securing straps. Each securing strap is connected at one endto chin strap 42 and at another end to ear loop 40. As such chin strap42 moves away in a direction from a securing strap's connection at earloop 40, the securing strap becomes more taut and eventually, whensufficiently taut, prevents chin strap 42 from traveling further in thatdirection.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certainspecific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto.

1. An ear loop for a helmet, the ear loop being connectable to a chinstrap of the helmet, the ear loop having a feature allowing movement ofthe chin strap about the ear loop along a restricted path only, therestricted path being limited to a predetermined portion of the earloop.
 2. The ear loop of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises alongitudinal slit in the ear loop, and the chin strap passes through theslit, whereby the movement of the chin strap is restricted by lateralends of the slit.
 3. The ear loop of claim 1, wherein the featurecomprises first and second protrusions on the ear loop, the chin strapbeing connected to the ear loop between the first and secondprotrusions.
 4. The ear loop of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises abridge extending from the ear loop, the bridge having first and secondfeet, and the chin strap being connected to the ear loop between thefirst and second feet.
 5. The ear loop of claim 1, wherein the featurecomprises a button protruding from the ear loop co-operable with atraverse slit in the chin strap to restrict movement of the chin straprelative to the ear loop.